Article packaging machine



May 12, 1953 J. A. DREHER 2,637,959

ARTICLE PACKAGING MACHINE Fil ed March 14, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 John Albert Dreher INVENTOR.

May 12, 1953 J DREHER 2,637,959

ARTICLE PACKAGING MACHINE Filed March 14, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jo/m Albert Dreher INVENTOR.

May 12, 1953 J. A. DREHER 2,637,959

ARTICLE PACKAGING MACHINE Filed March 14, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I N VEN TOR.

Anameys John Albert Ore/re! y 2, 1953 J. A. DREHER 2,637,959

ARTICLE PACKAGING MACHINE Filed March 14, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 John Albert Ore/ er INV EN TOR.

BY m

Patented May 12, 1953 U N IT ED STATE S PANT @F'FIC'E'.

ARTICLE PAGKAGING- MACHINE- .Iohn-AlhertDreher, 'Irucksville,Pa.v Application Marclrl l, 1951; Scria'lNuL 215,474

1 Claims 53-86) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in packaging machines and the primary. objector the'present invention is to-provicles a machine whereby small steaks, cheese; meats and the like may be packaged in a sanitary manner into small and compart articles;

Another important object of the present inventionis to provide apaclr'aging machine WhfilZQ- inla patty'oi meat is sealecl between upper'and lower layersoff paper prior to the cutting of the paper into small squares'so-that the meat may be stored and sold in a; sanitary and appetizing condition.

A. furtherobject of: the present invention is toprovide an artie'le packaging machine Where-- in. the meat is placed on a layer of paper, covered by another layer of paper; the layers of paperare sealeditogetherand. then the layers oi paper are out in a step-by-step process involving very little time and machinery.

A: still'further aim of thepresent invention is to provide an article packaging machine in which the aforementioned steps are carried out int sequence andautomatically'requiring a single operator for placing thepatties on a traveling layer of paper.

Gther objectsansl advantages reside in the details. of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter describedand claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like-numerals'reier tollikezparts throughout, and-iniwhich:

Figure 1 is a top plan-view of thepresent machine in use;

FigurezZ is aside elevational-view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is: a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section linet'il-'--3.of Figure 1;

Figures is atransverse vertieal'sectional view taken substantially on the-plane of section line Referring now tothe drawingsimietaili where in for the purposeoi' illustration, thereisdis:- closecla preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral it represents an elon gated. frame incluciinga tabletop il havingafor-- a pair of hooks 22 that removably support theenols of a shaft 2 3 on which there is rotatably iounteda lower paper'holclin'g roller 25';

Upri hts 28 rise from the frame it and tabletcp l2 and their upper ends are formed with that receive the ends of a removable recesses shalt on which is rotatablymounted" an upper roller 32- holding paper.-

roller 36 that is disposed above the table top 52 and under which paper '9 and Pi from the rollers 25- and 312 istrainecl.

A heating unit is mounted above the table top it rearwarrlly of the roller for sealing the sheets of paper-P and Pi together. This heat ing-unit, 3 5, includes'preferably four heating elements Gtthat are electrically conn'ecteei together and which are mounted in vertical recesses in theunit 36 as shown in Figure 8, so as to seal the papers? and Pi together'at four points asillustrated in Figure 9 by the numeral S'to' form a sealed article A in: which a patty of meat or the like M is enclosed.

A feeding mechanism it: is disposed on the frame it rearwardly of the heating unit" and comprises, as shown in' Figures 6 and 7; a pair sliding'bars ilwhose forward ends are pivota'lly secured. to inner pairs of links ancliouter pairs of links The links it" extend upwardly from the bars 42 and the table top 42 and" are pivotedto inner bell cranks or L-shapeelleversit'whereas the links ifi'dependlfromthe bars lit and'the table top l2 anrlare pivoted to outer bell cranks or L-shapecl levers Eli.

The links stare formed'with longitudinalslots 52' that sliciably receive the ends oi" an upper rod Eton which an upper pair. of rollers 56 are secured and the links it are also formed with longitudinal'slots 58in which the ends of a lower rod it is sliilably received? A pair ofrollers G2 are secured on the rod fit beneath the rollers 55, and the feeding mechanism 46 is located in an opening in the table top 12 as shown in Figure 3.

The upstanding ends of the levers are pivoted it and- 2t, re-- The lower ends of theuprights 25 support a transversely disposed guide to the upper portion of the frame in above the table top I2 by links 64 and the depending and free ends of the levers 43 are pivoted to the frame It) beneath the table top [2 by links 66 so that as the bars 42 are pulled rearwardly the rollers 55 and 62 will be urged into clamping engagement in order to pull the paper P and PI rearwardly toward a cutting mechanism [58 now to be described.

The cutting mechanism 68 consists of a horizontally disposed vertically reciprocating cutter that extends transversely across the table top rearwardly of the feeding mechanism. One end of the cutter i0 is pivoted on a shaft 12 that is rotatable in bearings Mon the table top [2. A link "it projects laterally from the shaft 12 and pivotally supports a depending rod '18 whose lower end is pivoted to a vertically swingable arm 80 carried by the frame it.

A pair of vertically swingable arms 82 are pivoted at their lower ends to the frame Ill and the upper ends of the arms 82 are pivoted to the rear ends of the bars 42 so that as the arms 82 are swung back and forth the feeding or paper moving mechanism will be actuated.

The heating unit 36 is connected to a vertically reciprocable member fi l which in turn is connected to a vertically swingable arm or a pair of arms 86 slidably carried by the frame Hi.

A horizontall disposed driven shaft 88 is rotatably supported on the frame It and parallels the pivots for the arms 89, 82 and 86. The shaft 88 is operatively connected to a motor 90 on the frame ID by a drive connection 92. The shaft 38 supports cams 94, 96 and 98 that will engage rollers 99, mo and H32 on the arms 80, 82 and 86, respectively, and the cams are shaped as shown best in Figure 3 of the drawmgs.

Means is provided for dispensing article packaged by the machine. This dispensing and conveying means is located at the rear end 26 of the table top and comprises an upper pair of horizontal rollers HM, a lower horizontal roller R06 and an intermediate horizontal roller 08. The rollers 594, E08 and H33 are all rotatably mounted on the frame it and the roller I06 is also vertically adjustable on the frame H).

An endless belt or webbing H0 is trained under the roller I08, over the rollers H34 and 20, and under the roller M38, as shown in Figure 3, and the roller it!) is connected to the shaft 88 by a drive connection H2 whereby the belt H0 will move in a clockwise direction, as shown in Figure 3.

In practical use of the present invention, the motor switch S is manually actuated to start the machine and meat patties or small steaks M are manually placed on the paper P overlying the forward end M of the table top.

The feeding mechanism 40 is horizontally reciprocated as the cam 96 rides, against the roller I80 and the rollers 56 and 58 are urged toward each other as the mechanism Alt is moved rearwardly to pull the paper P and PI rearwardly whereby the paper P and PI with a meat patty M therebetween will be pulled under the electrical heating unit 36.

The heating unit 35 is vertically reciprocated as the cam 98 rides against the roller I02 so 4 that the heating unit 36 will be lowered to seal the paper P and PI about the meat patty or small steak M.

Next, the paper is moved to the cutting mechanism and the cutter I0 is vertically reciprocated to cut the paper as the cam 94 rides against the roller 99. Then the cut article A passes onto the conveyor H0 where the article is discharged into a suitable container or another conveyor (not shown).

The cams 94, 96 and 98 are so shaped as to cause the sealing unit 36, feeding mechanism 40 and cutter 10 to be actuated in timed relationship whereby the sealing unit will descend directly over a meat patty M and whereby the cutter 10 will cut the paper P and PI between adjacent meat patties M.

Obviously, the device may be employed for packaging material other than meat, such as cheese, powdered material and the like. Also, a dispenser may be employed for discharging material on the paper P prior to the roller 34. The paper employed is preferably transparent to permit the contents of the articles A to be easily visible.

In View of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

An article packaging machine comprising a frame including a table top, a vertically reciprocating heating unit on the frame for sealing a pair of paper sheets together, a feeding mechanism on the frame for gripping the marginal edges of the sheets and thereby moving the sheets along the table top sealed by the heating unit, a vertically reciprocating cutter on the frame for cutting paper sealed by said heating unit, and a conveyor at one end of the table top for dispensing paper out by said cutter, said feeding mechanism being located between said heating unit and said cutter, said feeding mechanism including inner and outer pairs of bell cranks pivoted to said frame, a pair of sliding bars, upper links connecting the inner bell cranks to said bars, lower links connecting the outer bell cranks to said bars, upper and lower rods slidably carried by said upper and lower links respectively, and rollers on each rod.

JOHN ALBERT DREI-IER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,027,232 Hutt Jan. 7, 1936 2,128,964 Pityo Sept. 6, 1938 2,232,783 Hausheer Feb. 25, 1941 2,336,962 Salfisberg Dec. 14, 1943 

